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Today I talk with Mike Kowalski who spent 39 years playing a variety of instruments for The Beach Boys, touring with them as a second percussionist starting in 1968 and taking over as their full time drummer for 23 years after the unfortunate death of Dennis Wilson in 1983. Mike was given his first set of drums by the famous actor Jack Webb after Webb witnessed him banging along to a record with two hair brushes and two small drums at the age of 10.  Mike went on to play drums at a young age for acts such as Redbone, Sonny and Cher and Etta James before landing a touring gig with The Beach Boys. 

I met Mike after he heard Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully mention that I played drums on a broadcast. Mike was a huge Dodger fan and said he had to meet the new second baseman who also played drums. We met in a hotel lobby at spring training and have been good friends ever since. 

We talk about Mike’s long career with The Beach Boys, the genius of Brian Wilson, playing in a jam session with Jimi Hendrix and Mike’s longtime love of baseball.   His knowledge of baseball is darn near as impressive as his knowledge of music.  This is a wonderful conversation I know baseball fans and music fans alike are going to enjoy listening to. 

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

Being a parent is one of the greatest joys we get to experience in our lives. Most of us say we would give anything for the good of our children. Well, today I want to tell you a story about a man who did just that over 80 years ago. This is the story of Easy Eddie, the man who helped make the notorious gangster Al Capone rich and kept him out of jail. Later, riddled with guilt about helping a mobster stay clean, Eddie flipped on Capone and helped put him in jail for tax evasion. Listen to today's short to hear Easy Eddie’s story and his connection with the WWII hero who had an airport in Chicago named after him.

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

So many of us are concerned about how much money we are going to get paid to do something, but when you are doing something you love you don’t do it for money or recognition. A prime example of this was Ted Williams who not only played at a time when players weren’t paid a lot of money but “Teddy Ballgame” also wasn’t worried about records or accolades, he was worried about one thing...hitting. Today is the story, told directly to me by Ted Williams, about his final day of the season in 1941 where he ended the year hitting .400. 

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

Chivalry is a quality that seems to be waning in our society today. When I think of chivalry I don’t just think about how men treat women, I think about how we all treat each other. To me another word for chivalry is simply class. The spirit of chivalry is being attuned to the needs of others instead of thinking only of ourselves. In sports we see constant showboating and disrespect under the guise of “celebrating individuality.” In schools students use curse words  and text in the middle of class.  We need a return to chivalry, which is more than just pulling out a chair for a lady or giving up your seat on the bus for a senior citizen. It’s treating all people with respect and pausing to think how you can help the person next to you. 

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

There’s a scourge in life that affects all of us on the path to our dreams. They go by many names: doubters, haters, Debbie downers or naysayers. Every brilliant idea, every new product, every “crazy” dream has run into people who try to say it’s impossible, stupid, wrong or unnecessary. It’s at these times that we have to listen to our hearts, because only we know what kind of passion and belief is beating in there. I had a coach when I was in high school who told me I would be back in Sacramento driving a truck in two years if I signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Instead, three years later I was playing in the World Series at Yankee Stadium at 21-years-old. So take others advice when it’s warranted but tune out those who tell you that you can’t do something when your heart is telling you that you can.  

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

We all are going to face hardships in our lives. It may be something we have no control over or it may be personal demons that we are grappling with, but one thing that we have some control over is our attitude. Just take my friend John, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer and had tumors riddled throughout his body. When he told me about his cancer he just smiled and said, “Steve, this is just a nine month inconvenience.” I believe that John’s positive attitude and his refusal to feel like a victim went a long way towards his eventual recovery. Twenty years later John is still alive and thriving and he still has that positive attitude. That’s not to say he cured himself or that all you need to beat cancer is a positive attitude, but his outlook certainly allowed him to better deal with the struggle in front of him. So next time you hit hard times remember that those difficulties are unavoidable, but misery?...That’s optional.  

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

Today on Labor Day as many of us enjoy a day off, it’s the perfect time to stop and consider what kind of effort we are putting into our lives and careers. All of us are blessed with special abilities and special talents and putting those God-given gifts to good use in our lives is very important. But there are also many, many things we can do that contribute to our success that don’t require any special talent. I saw this list going around social media called “the 10 things you can do that require zero talent” and I really like the message it sends about the positive actions we can take to reach our goals that don’t take any special abilities. Listen to today’s short to hear the 10 things you can start doing right now to make you a better employee, friend and family member. 

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

All of us are on teams in our lives. Whether it’s in sports or business or in our personal lives, we all have to work together. The better we work together to create a positive culture and mindset the more successful we will be. When I was on the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers we were picked 4th to start the year and we won the World Series. When I was on the New York Yankees my teammates made me the best second baseman in the league. Choosing who you work with and who you connect with on your teams is so important for your happiness and productivity, so make sure that you don’t surround yourself with CAVE people. What is a CAVE person? Well, it’s not a guy with a fur speedo with a club, but you’ll have to listen to today’s short to find out.

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

One of the primary attributes to being secure and successful in this world is patience. Patience to stay the course and trust the process when things aren’t going well, but also patience to avoid distractions and temptations along the way. People who frequently succumb to instant gratification are rarely successful. This was even shown to be true of young children during a famous study back in 1972. Find out what happened when psychologists gave kids a marshmallow and told them not to eat it and how the outcome of their decision helped predict their outcomes for success decades later.  I love telling the story and you'll hear it on today's podcast.

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it. 

I would love to hear from you, just send me text and let me know what you think of the podcast.

We are living in times of great uncertainty and turmoil, but during times of turmoil are when there can be great opportunities for us to make changes in our lives. Now is the best time for you to set yourself on a new path to big dreams. In order to highlight someone who set a goal and made the most of an opportunity, You've got to hear the story of Edwin C. Barnes. This is the story of a man who hopped on a rickety old train car and showed up on the doorstep of Thomas Edison with the intention of making himself a partner with the greatest inventor of his time. Today’s story outlines the amazing outcome that anyone can mimic...if you want to create the opportunity for yourself. 

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it.